Dr. Maxwell Lang was the first crew member to wake up when his cryo-pod’s sleep computer started at the beginning of a long list of many tasks. There were a lot of steps for the machine to initiate as it was constantly reacting and adjusting to the biofeedback it monitored. All of them involved high-precision and had to follow a specific order at the right time to make sure no humans were harmed in the process. Trial and error along with few slip-ups over the years had helped to solidify the safety protocols needed for success...most of the time.
The journey to Jupiter’s moon, Callisto, had only taken one year, which wasn’t too bad. The ship they were aboard, The Orpheus, was new and unused with everything being crafted to the highest level of perfected refinement, thanks to Black-Star Incorporated. Outfitted with the most advanced propulsion, computer systems, and medical bay, it was far ahead of its time for the year 2180.
Dr. Lang finally opened his eyes as consciousness replaced a distant blurriness; it felt like his brain was trying to look out through windows clouded by condensation. He heard a whirring sound with clicks interlaced in no particular order or rhythm. Medical equipment worked methodically, unaided by human hand, just as it was designed to do. Next to him, an android’s fingers tapped keys at a furious pace that was mesmerizing to the doctor. He likened it to him still being out of it as the brain fog was starting to clear.
He tried to get the neurons in his brain to wake up, but it was missing something, something necessary to work properly—coffee. The second most important thing, only behind coffee, was the entire reason he was here at all. The chance to study alien life in any capacity had been alluring, and it drew him out here to a desolate moon with a research team he’d never met. There was no way that the company who hired him or the governments of the world would allow the samples to come back home to Earth; they valued their lives too much for that.
The gravity kicked in progressively, but at a creeping rate to get the crew acclimated again. It was a waste of money to generate artificial gravity, consume food and additional oxygen if the crew had been awake for the whole trip. It was also why they traveled for a year at a much slower speed than the Orpheus was capable of and that was because cash was king. One by one, the computer system began running through the process of waking each crew member up. LED lights along a panel on one wall flickered to life and started blinking rapidly, as the computers crunched data about the crew’s health and its current progress on waking them up. Each cryogenic sleep computer responded to the host computer’s rhythmic ping and synchronized updated medical information regarding the person.
The Captain was the last person on board that the computer had started working on. More lessons learned over the decades proved that if it was a doctor who woke up first, they’d be far more capable of ensuring the safety of the ship’s captain. Not everyone trusted androids to do the job from murmurings passed down about dealings from the past.
Dr. Lang was puking up what little contents remained in his stomach and trying to adjust to the gravity as the captain was just regaining consciousness. Everything was going as planned, and zero fatalities was something to celebrate. He shook it off, got up, and monitored the captain’s vitals, considering that he was unsure what he’d do if things went south since he wasn’t a physician of any kind.
“Is everything here new? This all looks completely unused.”
“Indeed it is, Dr. Lang,” replied the android in a cheery tone, “Months prior there had been some mining rigs and drillers sent here with the assignment of drilling into and excavating a large area inside. General construction was scheduled to take place and be completed by the time everyone got here. A few setbacks plagued the work crew at first, but they eventually got it together and completed every task at hand before the scheduled deadlines. There were a couple of times they cut corners to make sure it was all delivered on time, but it shouldn’t be anything paramount to survival.”
“Shouldn’t be?” asked Dr. Lang with a worried smile.
“Ugh, I hate this part every time. Going to sleep is pretty seamless and easy, so why can’t they make waking up just as smooth?” croaked his brother, Lieutenant Nick Lang.
The others were in similar shape and spirits, but they all perked up a little once the nausea passed. It was unavoidable due to the drugs needed to keep everyone safely asleep during the journey. The process was a bit of a shock to the body and brain and was generally jarring for someone to deal with from start to finish, excluding the peaceful part where everyone sleeps. Several of the Rangers headed down the corridor to get some food before preparing for what was to come.
“Mick, give me a status on the rendezvous ship,” requested Captain Spitzer.
“Yes sir.” The ship designated android, Mick, typed furiously on the digital keyboard before him as he swiped and selected menu after menu until he finally reached what he needed. It took location pings from the other ship and did the math to calculate when they’d arrive. “It looks like four days sir. All systems show green throughout the journey and all crew members checked in as alive and healthy except one per the last recorded communications with their Black-Star representative on board. I’ll forward you the data to analyze yourself.”
“Are there any reported incidents or alarms that got silenced during transit?”
“Negative. All is green, and the log history shows that it was a smooth trip both ways.”
“Copy that. Thank you, Mick.” He paused. “One more question. Has the entire crew checked in every day from when they left until the most recent ping?”
“It appears so, sir. The number of crew matches that of who went out there originally from what I can see. Everyone but one crew member is alive and in deep-sleep.”
“Very well, Mick,” the Captain said with a slight tone of relief.
The crew was busy catching up on anything they might’ve missed during their trip. It wasn’t a very long one, but family members sent videos all the time with speed of light transmission. It took anywhere from 33 to 54 minutes to have a signal sent one way or the other depending on the location Earth and Jupiter. They were told it would be a six-month rotation in and then six out.
Everyone on the ship had to sign contracts barring them from working anywhere else during the six months they had off afterward. They couldn’t talk about what they were working on to anyone, which was common practice these days anyway and not shocking given the subject matter. The soldiers only knew that there could be trouble, but it was unlikely. The crew were responsible for all scientific studies of the biological and physiological kind with the alien samples. There was a big emphasis in their case notes on not destroying the samples if at all possible.
Dr. Lang was a leading expert in several areas such as microbiology and genetics, which led to him getting a huge bonus to sign on with Black-Star. When they sent reps to meet him, he was wined and dined as everything he wanted to hear was promised with ease. Smiles were all around the table as they fawned over his work with compliments, which surprised the doctor how much of his ass they had kissed.
The promise of getting to study and work with alien biology was too much for him to pass up. The work, the money, the fame that was sure to come with it all seemed attractive and tangible. He had been passed over and neglected so many times in the past when asking for funding that he couldn’t even count them all. Now there was a company at his feet offering anything he wanted. What a dream he thought to himself.
“Doc, you doin’ okay?” asked the captain. “We need you at 100% to lead your team in the coming six months.”
“I’m okay,” replied Dr. Lang as he wiped his forehead of sweat, “I just need a minute to acclimate. Everything alright with you?”
“I’m just fine. I suggest you get yourself right and get to work so you and the team are prepared.”
They had a lot to talk about and prep for, and he had genuine concern that they all still felt physically worse than he did. Being the first one up had its advantages, although no one ever volunteered for it. Most people wanted to die while in deep-sleep if some kind of catastrophe presented itself while traversing space.
Everybody’s first time traveling long distances between star systems was scary and almost disorienting. The amount of time wasted while just going from point A to B was staggering if the star and its accompanying planets weren’t nearby. Most companies had consolidated best practices for putting people into deep-sleep for a long journey. Each passenger got instructions sent to them with a physical and digital copy. It listed things such as going to the bathroom first and eating a big meal hours prior to hold you over. Humans were still alive and ticking when frozen, so they did need some level of nutrients to prevent the body from consuming itself.
Dr. Lang pulled the other two doctors off to the side to make small talk with anyone other than the captain. Dr. Paige Tran and Dr. Timothy Parker, according to their name tags, were also experts in their fields relating to biology and neurophysiology. Both had experience with studying and treating animals aside from humans. Only one of the three doctors had ever had the opportunity to see DNA that wasn’t from Earth. Max kept that tidbit of information to himself for now. No sense in oversharing with people you just met he considered.
The company likely wouldn’t want him talking too much about what he’d seen even if they were working together on something similar now. He didn’t know if they would be studying samples from the same source, so it was best to shut up. The minuscule sample he had previously been provided shocked him in every test he put it through. They didn’t tell him what it was called but the box that the sample came in was labeled, simply stating it contained DNA from a species they named H12.
They briefly explained that they had an actual body from which they pulled the tissue and then extracted DNA samples from. That was it. He was kept completely in the dark otherwise. All data collected by Lang was passed back to the silent employer, Black-Star, for review and the doc never heard back until they came knocking on his door again. There had been no follow up, no phone call, and no messages replied to. Just a knock at the door and a request for his assistance yet again, if he was interested.
Every attempt he made at getting more information about what he worked on or would be working on were completely stonewalled. Not a single answer to a single question was provided. All they did was make him an offer, and it was a damn good offer. Against better judgment he accepted it and here he was, ready to do whatever they needed him to do with ethics and morals temporarily set aside, at their request. Two young looking Rangers walked over to the doctors with friendly smiles, which broke his recounting of it all.
“It’s chow time, if any of you are interested that is,” said one of the Privates. The doctors were feeling more like themselves by now and wanted to oblige their now begging stomachs with promises of food.
“Thank you Private. We’ll head down there in just a minute,” replied Dr. Lang. The two Rangers nodded and went back to the galley to resume their meals.
“Come be one of the first to study alien life they said. It’s completely safe and in a controlled environment they said. Cue tons of armed soldiers,” joked Dr. Tran with raised eyebrows.
“How much do y’all know?” asked Dr. Parker with his slight southern drawl. “In my mind...the possibilities are endless for what kind of lifeform or DNA we might get to study. Will it be just blood or a full body of...whatever it is? I’m sure Black-Star neutralized the danger,” his voice trailed off, “whatever that is.”
“You are way too positive and trusting of people. When there’s money involved, someone is always getting screwed over,” replied Dr. Tran.
“Alright, alright. Enough of that kind of talk for now. If someone hears that and reports it to the company, then you’re going to have to explain it away to the people who hired you. That could cost you your next trip out here.” Dr. Lang lightly clapped both doctors on the shoulder and began walking to the galley with his royal subjects in tow behind him.
“Welcome to the galley folks. Grab a bowl,” said the captain with a friendly but professional smile that faded quickly.
“Thanks, Captain Spitzer, we were planning to do just that. What are we having for our first meal together?” asked Dr. Lang who sported the same cordial smile that matched the captain’s sentiment.
“Well doc,” started one of the Rangers, “You can fill your bowl with some freshly rehydrated and reheated slop that’s brown, if you’re feeling like that might be a good choice.” A few quiet laughs were heard. “Your other option is the reheated slop that’s green, if that suits you better.”
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“Peters, please play nice. The doctors are the reason we’re here. You could just as easily be commissioned and sent to an alien world with giant bugs that eat humans and shit you out in a cocoon.”
“It’s alright Captain, really. Thanks for the concern.” Lang gave the private a wink to let him know it was all good. “I guess I’ll give the green slop a try today.”
The other two doctors didn’t say a single word and likely could have been confused for mannequins as they didn’t move once during the entire exchange. They followed Lang with only one of them being brave enough to try the thick brown gruel looking food.
“Don’t worry about the food for today. It’s just to get your stomach back into the swing of digestion. I promise to have you all eating a delicious quiche with a side salad in a day or so,” declared Corporal Anna Pathos.
“Oh, thank God we have you with us again Pathos,” said Sergeant Tandries who was answered by cheers.
“So, tell me Dr. Lang...what exactly are we all here for?” asked the captain. “We all have an idea, but what can you tell us?”
Everyone quieted down out of respect and also sheer curiosity. No crew flies a ship blindly without any clue of where they’re going or what for, unless absolute secrecy is necessary. Even then, they would have some semblance of an idea. The same goes for the WMO Rangers. It’s a top-down structure with the folks at the top being in the know about everything. This was usually the fun part where everyone compared stories and found out who was lied to.
“All I know is that we’re supposed to look at something that’s alien in origin for Black-Star.”
“That’s all you know? You signed up to look at something?” asked Private Acton in a half joking manner with sarcasm on full display.
“Cut the doc some slack, man. They might know less than we do!” The two privates laughed which showed both their age and maturity levels lacked.
“You two quiet down. Let Dr. Lang speak.” explained his brother, “If you two are talking, then he isn’t.” Silence ensued with nods in agreement.
“Thanks Lieutenant. We really weren’t told too much other than it was the opportunity of a lifetime. The pay is good and six months on and then six off sounded rather alluring since I’m getting paid for both.” he shrugged. “They didn’t expand too much on what we would be looking at though, and I know that’s what you’re really asking about. There will be some experimentation to see how life from Hades interacts with life from Earth. Unfortunately, that’s the best I can do at this time.”
The Rangers already knew everything that Lang said and more. Black-Star found something interesting that they wanted and were bringing it back to our home solar system. It was easier to rotate people out and restock on supplies that way. The entire crew was warned that even a dead sample was potentially dangerous and to exercise extreme caution.
“We had heard rumors about several missions that were sent out, but didn’t come back and no data beyond that was shared about it. Quite a few did make it and most of them went to the same planetary system, gathered data, from previously failed missions, and came home,” added Sergeant Tandries.
“Do you all put much stock in rumors?” asked Lang.
“If it comes from the right people...sure. If I didn’t believe them, I wouldn’t have shared them with you, but they’re only rumors until they’re not. If we have missions going out and not coming back, well then I’ll let you do the math on that.” Tandries winked and went back to eating.
At Black-Star’s request, all the Rangers on the ship had been through combat and sent to at least one planet far away which provided them with much-needed training in the real world. Having been in deep-sleep before was an advantage, since they knew what to expect and recovered more quickly from the shock to their systems. After a few missions you start to realize that there’s tons of life out there in the universe and very little of it is friendly. Everything just wanted to kill you for your stuff or eat you.
Sergeant Tandries was hoping to retire soon with all the money he’d saved up. His wife was shocked that he was still alive for one last mission after all the times he was sent off and nearly killed. He was a former convict turned military man to cull the sentence, but that was a long time ago if you asked him. While he claimed to have been saved, it wasn’t the religious kind of life-saving change that he endured. Getting clean off the drugs enabled him to stay out of prison and become a stable functioning member of society.
Everyone finished their meals with some small talk and shuffled off to fulfill their individual responsibilities and scheduled tasks. The ship’s crew prepared to land inside the docking bay instead of an exterior dock. The drills and mining machines had really done a lot of work, and they produced an absolute wonder of a structure inside the moon. The internal docking bay was huge and could fit several ships. It had the ability to pressurize and depressurize which would make ship repairs and maintenance a breeze.
The laboratories were fully stocked with the most up-to-date equipment available and even some that wasn’t available for purchase on the market yet. Black-Star had patented a lot of technology including some that was related to the medical field. Near unlimited funding had its advantages; when used properly, it led one to making more money. Clearly there was something worthy there of so many space-bound missions and so much money being wasted that they were able to still be profitable.
Each crew member who was present would have their own room and bathroom. Showers weren’t communal on this ship, although others still had that setup which always delighted the crew when they found out. Individual temperature controls, fully stocked kitchens, and large spacious corridors made the place seem like a palace. The corridors were all large enough to allow travel on battery powered bikes that the station was stocked with for quicker travel.
The Orpheus began firing thrusters forward, powered by nuclear fusion, to slow their approach to Callisto. In just a few hours they would be inside the docking bay and unpacking supplies in their new home away from home for the next six months.
“Thrusters firing at 37% sir. Everything looks good.” The android was hitting buttons and colored writing slid upwards on a computer screen at great speed. “We should be ready to dock in roughly two hours and 17 minutes.”
“Copy that Mick. Thank you. Give us a 15-minute warning before we’re ready to do the deed.”
“Will do, Captain,” replied Mick with little emotion as he stared at the text scrolling upwards on the screen.
In his private quarters, Dr. Lang stared at the small picture of him and his family that he brought with him. He, his wife, and two boys were sitting on a log in a wooded area in the picture. It looked warm and was spring time with fresh plant life growing all around—happier times that he wanted to get back to very soon. It was motivation if nothing else. A heavy knock at the door and then it slid open without anyone providing an invitation to do so.
“Hey doc, the captain wanted me to tell you that we’re going to be sub surface in about 30 minutes. Can you pass that on to your two pals?”
“Sure thing, Private. Thanks for the heads-up.”
Private Acton nodded and plodded off with the gusto of a soldier who was given orders. Sure, why don’t I do your job too, he thought as he walked to the quarters of Dr. Tran and then Dr. Parker. Each had their names on a digital display outside their rooms which made it easy to avoid mix-ups. Both doctors seemed excited and were all smiles with the news from Lang. They had a lot to do and were anxious for the opportunity to work on something so exciting. Even the thought of something going wrong, just like in the movies they’d seen, was slightly thrilling from the fear.
Once they had all reached their own rooms, their work-issued displays had provided some more information, satisfying their minds a bit more than the vague descriptions passed to them so far. Very little was shared about the specifics other than what kinds of tests and results they were looking to have done. Apparently, there was something about the DNA that they wanted poked and prodded for the sake of practical applications. That could mean medicine, advances in chemistry, even weapons for all they knew.
That wasn’t the important part to the eager scientists, although in their younger days they wanted to change the world just like every other young person. The once in a lifetime kind of opportunity along with the recognition and funding that would follow was glamorous to daydream about. They were promised all research related files in the database would be available once the ship was docked.
When Dr. Tran told her parents, she was becoming a doctor, they were simply over the moon excited for her. After they realized she used her decade in college they had funded to become a scientist who was constantly begging for cash from investors, they were a bit disappointed. This was her opportunity to show them that she was someone important now, having beat all the odds of being the child of immigrants. All would be forgotten when her face was on magazine covers for being one of the first people to study alien life for the sake of improving lives of mankind.
“Attention all crew. Attention all crew aboard the Orpheus. The ship has reached Callisto and just opened the docking bay doors. We are nearly synced with its orbit and are entering the moon’s internal structure in five minutes. This should be smooth but strap in and be quiet unless you’re told to do something,” came the captain’s voice over the speakers. “Thank you,” he finished a few seconds later.
Everyone knew that the captain’s job was stressful, and he was likely just focused on everything going on. Captain Spitzer flipped switches and typed on his keyboard while Mick did most of the heavy lifting for this part. His neural synapses could sync and interface with the ships systems wirelessly which made him an invaluable asset to the crew. He didn’t even have to look at a screen to pull information during an emergency. Mick’s particular model of android can send off queries to ship systems internally and parse the data locally for analysis.
“How are we looking Mick? I need an update, and you’re being shy at the worst possible time.”
“Sorry Captain. I’m just trying to concentrate on getting the Orpheus lined up perfectly to deliver ship and crew intact. The bay doors are open wide as you can see on the display screen there. I suppose that’s good enough. Let’s take her in.”
“Understood. Let me know if you see anything to be concerned about. All systems green on my check. Take her in.”
The impression that the android had gotten from other missions was that it freaked the humans out when he was just standing there staring at nothing. They weren’t aware of what he was doing with his mind unless he verbalized it or did it physically for them to see. These kinds of things were learned, and he enjoyed picking up on mannerisms and slang phrases from the humans. It got out of hand once when he kept calling everyone dicks. The crew got some good laughs out of it, but the joke wore out its welcome with the frequency of use by Mick.
“We’re going in,” said Mick as he pushed forward on the controls and so the ship went. “Passing through the bay doors now—" a pause, “—and we’re almost clear.” The Orpheus slowed and descended near the back on one of the launch pads. One of the many smart things they did was add hydraulic lifts to help ships exit. The large bay doors above would slide sideways, and the large platform would lift upwards, exposing the ship for a vertical launch.
A slight shudder ran through the large ship’s spine as it set down on deployed ski rudders to not damage the underside. The sound of the engines winding down dissipated slowly until it wasn’t even a low hum. They kept it running at all times on low power in case they needed to make a quick getaway. It also kept the life support systems functioning which took a long time to warm up as it was power intensive to start. Lights flashed and buttons were pushed as alarms quieted until everything was green.
“We are officially sub surface and I’m closing the bay doors now. The bay will take a few minutes to pressurize and fill with a breathable atmosphere for you. I’d suggest you start getting your bags ready to unpack for the exciting work you have ahead.”
“Thanks, Mick. It should hopefully be pretty quiet for most of the crew here. If all goes as planned, then the scientists will be the ones having fun,” said the captain.
All three scientists placed heavy boxes that they could barely manage in a hallway near the breach door they would exit from. The Rangers offered to help them unload as they were doing the same thing with crates of supplies, weapons, and ammunition among other things.
“Captain Spitzer, I just confirmed that all doors are sealed and the atmosphere in the bay is now breathable. Exit at your convenience.”
“Thank you , Mick.” The captain went on to share that information with the rest of the ship over speakers and through Mick over digital output displays. They were all over the ship and it was possible to send messages of high importance to them. Mostly everyone had some sort of mobile communication device they carried with them as well.
A large hatch opened up and the Rangers shuffled out first at full attention just as a precaution. Once everyone was confident it was safe, they all exited the ship except for the captain and the android. They would stick around to monitor things and planned on meeting up with everyone later.
“I’ll help you all with these,” said the largest soldier Dr. Tran had ever seen.
“Umm, thanks,” she said nervously hoping to avoid being crushed
“I’ll place the boxes of gear in your laboratory. I’m assuming you all can manage your personal belongings?”
“Yes, Sir,” replied Lang.
Corporal Frederick Butler stood around 6’6 and broad shouldered, complimented by a beard that soldiers didn’t normally have. He bent down with his arms that were worthy of a giant and picked up two of the heavy boxes before carrying them off.
“Well aren’t you the talkative one Paige,” joked Dr. Parker.
“Shut up, Timothy.” Dr. Tran picked up her bags and walked off with Dr. Parker following her prompt to go.
